Bridging the Gap: Seeing Lent as an Opportunity to Welcome LGBTQ Christians Back to the Church

Father James Martin

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent in the Christian calendar. Lent is a time of reflection and contemplation, a time when many Christians think about ways that they can become closer to God and to each other. To mark the season this year, HRC Religion & Faith Program Director Michael Vazquez sat down with Jesuit Priest and Editor-at-Large of America Media, Father James Martin.

Father Martin began his ministry to LGBTQ Catholics after the tragic shooting at Pulse that claimed 49 lives, most of them LGBTQ and Latinx, in June 2016. Since then, he has made it a priority to connect with and advocate for LGBTQ Catholics to ensure they feel welcome in the Church, and to encourage other non-LGBTQ people in the Church to do the same. During the conversation, Vazquez and Father Martin discussed how all Christians can take the opportunity that Lent provides to reach out and make connections with LGBTQ people in their church families.

Below are excerpts from their conversation. HRC will share a video covering more of the discussion as Lent continues.

How can the church use Lent as a means to engage more [with the LGBTQ community]?

Lent is a time to really prepare for Easter, but also to understand the sufferings of Jesus… And it’s also a time for people to engage more deeply with LGBT people…

Read full story with interview, and more, from Source: Bridging the Gap: Seeing Lent as an Opportunity to Welcome LGBTQ Christians Back to the Church